Portable first aid cabinet



April '7, 1964 L. P. MANCINI PORTABLE FIRST AID CABINET Filed Sept. 1,1961 1 l 1 1 l-l/l l 7'- Q INVENTOR.

ou/s PMANc/A/f l lll/1f /2 United States Patent Ofi tice 3,128,136Patented Apr. 7., 1964 3,123,136 PORTABLE FIRST AID CABINET Louis P.Mancini, 129 Braidbum Road, Florham Park, NJ. Filed Sept. 1, 1961, Ser.No. 135,564 9 Claims. (Cl. S12- 209) This invention relates to portablefirst aid cabinets preferably formed of molded plastic material, wheremthe cabinet is of such size and dimensions as to be stored on the shelfof standard cabinets used in bathrooms. More particularly, the inventiondeals with a cabmet structure of the character ldened, wherein the sidewalls and top and bottom walls are each joined by two partitionsintersecting with each other in dividing the cabinet into verticallyarranged drawer compartments at each side of the cabinet, Va largecentral rectangular compartment for the storage of container productsand upper and lower elongated drawer compartments.

Still more particularly, the invention deals with substantially U-shaped`drawer spacing members for spacing the drawers in the compartments atopposed sides of the cabinet.

'Ihe novel features of the invention will be best understood from thefollowing description, when taken together with the accompanyingIdrawing, in which certain embodiments of the invention are disclosedand, in which, the separate parts are designated by suitable referencecharacters in each of the views and, in Iwhich:

FIG. 1 is a -front view of a cabinet according to my invention, omittingthe `door or closure therefor, with parts of the construction brokenaway and diagrammatical-ly illustrating container products in thecentral compartment of the cabinet.

FIG. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of FIG. l and indieating, in part,the hinge cover forming a closure for the front open side of thecabinet, the cover being shown in open position.

FIG. 3 is a partial sectional plan View on the line 3 3 of FIG. 4, partsof the construction being broken away; and

FIG. 4 is a partial section on the line 4-4 of FIG. 1.

In illustrating one -adaptation and use of my cabinet, I have shown anoblong rectangular casing 10, delined by top and bottom walls 11 and`12, side walls 1'3 and 14 and a back wall 15. The top and bottom walls1|1 and 12 are joined by a pair of partition walls 16, 16; whereas, theside walls 13,` and 14 are joined by another pair of partition walls 17,17', these partitions intersecting, as at 18. In molding the cabinetproper, inner adjacent surfaces of the walls 13, @16, between thepartitions 17, 17', include forwardly and rearwardly extending cleats19' and similar cleats are formed on adjacent surfaces of the walls 14and 16', as seen at 19. Mounted on an-d suitably secured to the cleats19, 19" are U-shaped drawer spacing and supporting members 20, 20', oneof these members being illustrated in plan in FIG. 3 of the drawing. Thepurpose of the foregoing construction is to simplify the mounting of thecabinet proper and, further, to minimize the overall weight of thecabinet.

The various partitions, including the members 211, 20, divide theinterior of the cabinet into a plurality of compartments, the sides ofthe cabinet in the construction shown having ve vertically arrangedcompartments, all of which are preferably of the same size and in thesecompartments are arranged drawers 21 of similar size and contour. Eachof the drawers 21, note FIG. 4 of the drawing, comprise a front wall 22,a bottom wall 23 and a back wall 24, the latter being of less Verticaldimensions than the front wall. Each of the front walls includes, at

the upper end thereof, a tingerpiece knob 25, these knobs being clearlyillustrated in FIG. 1 of the drawing.

Formed between the top and bottom walls 11 and i12 and t-he partitionwa-lls 17, 17 are two elongated compartments, in which elongatedIdrawers 26 are arranged. The drawers 26 are both of the same size tosimplify construction of the cabinet and these drawers also include afront lWall 27, note FIG. 2, a bottom Wall 28 and a back -wall 29, thelatter being preferably of less vertical dimensions than the front Wall27. The drawers 26 also include iingerpiece knobs 30, similar to theknobs 2'5.

Formed between the partition Walls 16, 16'; 17, 17 centrally of thecabinet is a large rectangular compartment 3,1, in which variouscontainers for different treatment ointments or the like are adapted tobe stored, two large containers 32 being employed, twosmall containers33 and a tube 34, preferably containing a rst aid cream. While theseseveral containers can be mounted directly upon the bottom partitionwall 17', l prefer to employ a shallow drawer 35 employing a front wall36, note FIG. 2, a bottom wall 37 and a back wall 38 so that the variouscontainers can be moved forwardly by engaging the lingerpiece knob 39 tofacilitate removal and replacement of any of the containers.

Considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will be apparent that the frontopen side of the cabinet is preferably closed by a door 4t)x 1hinged tothe bottom wall 12 of the cabinet, as indicated at 41. In thisconnection, it will be understood that any type and kind of closure canbe employed to gain access to the several drawers of the cabinet inremoval of the first aid products in rendering first aid treatment.

The various compartments of the cabinet will provide storage fornumerous types and kinds of equipment and, in illustrating a fewarticles, sterile bandage, cotton, :adhesive tape, iinger bands, sterilegauze pads and standard types of remedies for treatment of wounds,burns, accidental poisonings and the like can be stored therein.Further, such hardware :as `swab sticks, scissors and tourniquets willbe employed.

Considering FIG. 2 of the drawing, it will appear that each of themembers 20 comprise a wide front crosshead 42, from which extend theinwardly directed narrow side members directly arranged upon and securedto the cleats 19, thus producing the generally U-shaped contour of eachof the members 20. It will also appear, from a consideration of FIG. 2of the drawing, that the front walls of all of the drawers are setinwardly of the forward edges of the several walls of the cabinet, sothat the ingerpiece knobs of the respective drawers do not projectbeyond the forward edges which might be said to define a vertical plane,against which the door or closure 4t) rests when the cabinet is inclosed position.

From the foregoing, it will be apparent that only three dierent sizedrawers are employed in the cabinet, thus minimizing die cost andenabling the cabinet to be produced at a reasonable price. The cabinetscan be merchandised in a filled state or in a blank state for filling bythe purchaser or user.

In addition to the simplicity in the structure of the cabinet, thelocation of the large compartment 31 in a position centrally of thecabinet to immediately meet the eye is desirable, particularly when theproducts of the several containers stored in this compartment are neededfor quick administration.

Having fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. A portable first aid cabinet comprising an oblong rectangular moldedcasing dened by a back wall, top, bottom and side walls, a pair ofspaced vertical partition Walls integral with the top and bottom walls,a pair of spaced horizontal partition walls integrally joining said sidewalls, the last named partition walls integrally intersecting the firstnamed partition walls, said partition walls dividing the cabinet into alarge rectangular center compartment, said center compartment beingbordered by top, bottom and side large drawer receiving compartments andfour small corner drawer receiving compartments, drawers conforming toand fitting in said top, bottom and corner drawer compartments, meansbetween the spaced horizontal partition walls and each side wall and theadjacent vertical partition wall for forming a plurality of drawercompartments in each of said side drawer compartments, and drawers insaid last named compartments.

2. A cabinet as dened in claim 1, wherein said last named means includescleats integral with the side and vertical partition walls, and spacingmembers supported on and fixed to said cleats.

3. A cabinet as defined in claim 2, wherein said spacing members aregenerally U-shaped in form.

4. A cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein all of said drawers aregenerally of the same construction, each drawer comprising only front,bottom and back walls, and a ngerpiece knob on said front wall.

5. A cabinet as defined in claim 4, wherein the center compartmentincludes a vertically shallow product supporting drawer generallysimilar in contour to the other drawers of the cabinet.

6. A cabinet as defined in claim l, wherein the drawer compartments anddrawers at sides and corners of the cabinet are all of the same size.

7. A cabinet as defined in claim 6, wherein the drawer compartments anddrawers above and below the center rectangular compartment are of thesame depth but of greater width than the side compartments and drawers.

8. A cabinet as dened in claim 7, wherein the center compartmentincludes a product supporting drawer disposed at the lower portion onlyof said compartment.

9. A cabinet as defined in claim 1, wherein a drawer is disposed in thebottom of said center compartment, and said drawer being materially lessin vertical dimensions than the vertical dimensions of said centercompartment.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 236,906Ladewig Ian. 25, 1881 1,094,397 Abbath Apr. 21, 1914 1,966,800 KatzmanIuly 17, 1934 3,008,785 Gehr Nov. 14, 1961

1. A PORTABLE FIRST AID CABINET COMPRISING AN OBLONG RECTANGULAR MOLDEDCASING DEFINED BY A BACK WALL, TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE WALLS, A PAIR OFSPACED VERTICAL PARTITION WALLS INTEGRAL WITH THE TOP AND BOTTOM WALLS,A PAIR OF SPACED HORIZONTAL PARTITION WALLS INTEGRALLY JOINING SAID SIDEWALLS, THE LAST NAMED PARTITION WALLS INTEGRALLY INTERSECTING THE FIRSTNAMED PARTITION WALLS, SAID PARTITION WALLS DIVIDING THE CABINET INTO ALARGE RECTANGULAR CENTER COMPARTMENT, SAID CENTER COMPARTMENT BEINGBORDERED BY TOP, BOTTOM AND SIDE LARGE DRAWER RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS ANDFOUR SMALL CORNER DRAWER RECEIVING COMPARTMENTS, DRAWERS CONFORMING TOAND FITTING IN SAID TOP, BOTTOM AND CORNER DRAWER COMPARTMENTS, MEANSBETWEEN THE SPACED HORIZONTAL PARTITION WALLS AND EACH SIDE WALL AND THEADJACENT VERTICAL PARTITION WALL FOR FORMING A PLURALITY OF DRAWERCOMPARTMENTS IN EACH OF SAID SIDE DRAWER COMPARTMENTS, AND DRAWERS INSAID LAST NAMED COMPARTMENTS.